Springfield daily republic. [volume] (Springfield, O. [Ohio]) 1887-1888, 1887-08-13

/ lHlh pl'S9ih- NHdl Was designed rs u
curse
That appears to me very reasonable, "
said Father Rosie; and at any rate, AS
the boy has not yet been baptized, do
not see what harm could result from per-
mitting him tn make the trial, we mean
while standing by with bell, book and
candle ready To interfere if occasion de-
mnnds."
'An excellent idea cried Father BOur
not, rising with alacrity 1T will be a
fine stroke of revenge, too. To make the
devil, who works SO often To our injury,
work for once TO our profit
Foolish man, exclaimed Father Tenn
pie, ''as if the devil has not thousand
subtle subterfuges unfathomable To hu-
man penetration"
| Nevertheless, seeing that the others
We're bent upon the experiment, he made
no further opposition, but. opening his
breViary, began To read attentively, while
the Fathers Bournot and Rosie brought
from the sacristy basin of holy water,
four blessed candles, lighted taper and a
small bell, which the altar boys were ac-
customed to ring during the mass. These,
after much consultation, ii was decided to
conceal under the bench, lest they should
I
fere altogether with the conjurations OF
Saat; the which being done, the three con-
senting fathers ranged themselves in
front Of their sacred ammunition, each
one carefully clasping his crucifiX beneath
. fold i'll his robe, and Father fraize indi-
Gated to Saat that he might proceed.
Saat, who had not in the least compre-
hended all these preparations, at once
do RI of Ia tho whanna ha
soon returned with three perfectly inno-
cent looking oranges. The holy fathers
exchanged gances of smiling incredulity
at this mild beginning to performance
of such wonderful promise, but
Saat, quite unembarrassed by their
gaze and appearing, indeed, to TO-
tally ignore their presence, placed his
oranges upon the ground, carefully meas
uring the spaces between them, then,
Withdrawing 10 short distance, pros
trated himself before each in turn with
the utmost respect. After salutng in
this reyerential manner the representa-
tives of his pagan trinity, the youthful
sorcerer furnished himself with three
small branches from an orange tree, and,
with renewed prostrations, planted one in
each orange. \ third time he went
through this ceremony, accompanying his
genuiieNiOus with an unintclligible NUT
tering, probably some cabalistic incanta-
ton; then rising with one of the green
twigs in his hand turned his eyes,
strangely glittering with light more than
human. toward the wind swept sky. High
up against the lustrous blue hovered a
tiny cloud, hardly larger than a doves
wing, and transparent as u lady's lace
handkerchief. Saat, his small form
seeming to dilate with some mysterious
inward force, fixed his glittering eyes
upon this tiny cloud, al the same time eN-
tending his orange branch with an air Of
irresistible command, when. TO the utter
amazement Of the good fathers, a fine
rain Immediately began to descend upon
the thirsty garden beds.
\ few drops, penetrating the interstices
Of the arDor, CHANGED 10 fall upon the
tOnsured head of Father Temple, who had
not ceased 10 read his breviary during all
these mummeries. Springing to his feet
in conSternatlOn. he began to run to and
fro, rubbing his head and crying out that
he was scalded, whereupon Father Rosie,
with admirable presence of mind, seized
the benitier and drenched him with its
contents. But Father Buurnot put
forth his hand and gathering heat curled
vine leaf, in whose hollow q little water
had gathered, boldly drank it down, de-
claring il to be cool and sweet as any that
ever fcIl from heaven in answer to tho
most sanity prayer.
For a whole hour the rain continued to
fall with gentle, whispering sound,
Saat still maintaining his attitude OF COM
mand with branch extended toward the
tiny cloud which neither expanded nor
grew less The dropping corn revived
and lifted up its shining blades rejoicingly,
the bean vines clothed themselves anew
in broad green leaves, seeming to climb
visibly higher on their supporting poles,
while the rotund pumpkins appeared TO
swell and glow with deeper golden hue
before the astonished eyes Of the bewil-
dered monks.
"A miracle without doubt" murmured
the good Pere Fraize, but to what saint
shall We ascribe it,
at is as | said, returned Father Bour-
not triumphantly. The powers of evil
themselves can work only good within
walls, and we have captured
a benefit from the very devil
Nevertheless, maintained Father
Temple, .'if the holy water and candles
had not been at hand, or if had ceased to
read my breviary, 1t might have ended
quite differently"
In the mean time, the rain having
ceased. Saat, the supernatural light not
yet entirely faded from his eyes, but in all
other respects quite restored to his nor
mally grave and digniiied demeanor, gath
cred up the oranges and the little greeI.
branches and, carrying them TO a corner
Of the garden, reverently buried them in
the moist earth.
But although the genuineness Of the
miracle was attested by the fact that not
a drop Of rain had fallen outside the con-
vent walls. and its benevolent character
fully maintained by the plenteous crop Of
maize, beans and pumpkins gathered in a
few weeks later, the good fathers were
agreed that they were not safe with a
pagan sorcerer Of such power in their
midst, and Saat was accordingly baptized
with prayers and ceremonies of unusual
and highest exercising power.
He received the name Of Amable, under
which Christian sounding appellation he
was still living at Martinique in the year
lslS a life OF disenchanted usefulness
Felix Gray in The Times Democrat.
A Timely Production.